OLYMPIA, Wash.-- A last-minute vote in the state House has saved a bill some lawmakers believe will save the lives of children and the elderly.

Most legislators thought the bill, which would break apart the state Department of Social and Health Services, didn't stand a chance. And if it hadn't been passed out of a House committee by the end of Friday, it would've been, more or less, dead for the legislative session.

But on Friday afternoon, the House Appropriations Committee passed the bill with a 9-to-6 vote, sending a message to DSHS that time has come for change.

Rep. Mike Armstrong, R-Wenatchee, used the findings of a KOMO News investigation to bolster his argument that the department too big to effectively protect vulnerable citizens.

The investigation showed that since 2002, 116 kids - an average of more than one child every month - has died of abuse or neglect while under the state's watch.

It also found that the DSHS Children's Administration tried but failed to get national accreditation. learned two other national reviews showed abuse and neglect on the rise in Washington state with 36 other states doing a better job keeping kid's safe.

Rep. Sherry Appleton, D-Poulsbo, co-sponsored the bill.

"I wanted to send a very clear message that DSHS is not working. We have people who are dying. There are children who are dying, they're not doing their jobs," she said.

Both the current secretary of DSHS Susan Dreyfus and Gov. Chris Gregoire's staff members testified against this bill, claiming desegregating the agency would lead to additional problems.

For Armstrong, Friday's passage of the bill, which wasn't expect to make out of committee, was a victory in itself. Now he'll have a chance to lobby the full House membership.